


I knew you'd Come Crawling Back to Me

by MorganSloatman230



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:53:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22342882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganSloatman230/pseuds/MorganSloatman230
Summary: Although he quit his old job at SillyVision Studios, Henry, because its the Great Depression era, cannot catch a break anywhere else as an animator. Not only that, but to make matters worse, Henry's wife Linda has been having an affair behind Henry's back and soon leaves him for another man. Unable to find any job prospects and a lack of Linda's presence to give Henry emotional support, Henry feels he has no other choice but to return to his former place of work and beg for his old job back.What he doesn't know is that his former business partner and friend Joey has ulterior motives planned for him in mind.
Relationships: Joey Drew/Henry Stein
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by an anonymous comment user on Tumblr that came up with a what-if scenario of where Henry returned to take his old job back at the studio months after quitting do to difficulty finding a job anywhere else. They also mentioned how interesting it would be if Joey and Henry's relationship was explored in this alternate scenario, given how the two had a falling out in the canon just right before Henry quit. Given that I am very much a supporter of this pairing, I thought this idea would be fun to explore in this fic. 
> 
> Criticism in the comments are more than welcome!

Resting his head on the wooden desk, the animator let out an exhausted sigh. It had been only a few weeks since he returned back to the studio. Only a few weeks since he had come ‘crawling’ back to his old friend as a broken pathetic shell of a man he once was.  


Henry could still remember the look of victory on Joey’s smug face as he seemed to look down upon his friend from his desk across from where Henry sat. Henry had been slumped in his seat while wearing a tired and defeated expression. Henry had told Joey of the news regarding Linda leaving him for another man. Went onto also explain how he couldn’t find another job as an animator anywhere else. It wasn’t called the depression period for nothing, after all. 

Before Linda had left, things were already tough as soon as he quit his job. The animator and his wife barely had enough to scrape by on Linda’s earnings alone, and Henry could tell by Linda’s increasing distance and coldness towards him that she secretly blamed them for their financial predicament, and the honestly? Henry didn’t blame her one bit. 

When the affair started Henry honestly didn’t know. What he did happen to know was that he found a pair of boxers and a set of slippers that certainly did not belong to him one night when he was home alone while Linda was out running errands. Once she finally spilled the beans about the affair she’d been having behind his back, Henry wished he never bothered to try and open a can of worms to begin with. He also wished he had attempted to say something when she gave him one last look of what seemed like a mixture of pity and contempt before walking out the door and out of his life forever. 

He hated himself for that.

Just as he hated himself for not being able to contain his emotions as well he should. After all, as his father put it best “No good man ever cries." 

Months after Linda left him, he still didn’t have a job and the savings he scrounged up over the years were starting to run out. He barely had enough saved up to afford to pay the bills and buy food for himself. The job market was scarce, with apparently no open positions available. Being the great depression, businesses left and right were closing and shutting down for good, making job hunting an impossible task. 

After weeks and weeks of looking, and with what little money he had left dwindling to nothing, Henry felt he had no place left to turn but back to the place where he swore he would never step foot in ever again. And yet here he was. 

Joey had played his role well enough, by acting as though he expected Henry to return back to him all along; as if Henry was simply a fickle child throwing a tantrum in a futile attempt to challenge their parent’s authority. Henry, by that point being too broken and wore down by life to react negatively to Joey condescension towards him, simply snorted and shrugged off Joey’s words. Of course, Joey was more than willing to give Henry his old job back, with surprisingly no strings attached at all; something Henry founded very hard to believe at all. 

Returning to the present, Henry’s eyes rested on the storyboard set out in front of him. So far he has done a rough draft of drawings involving Bendy hanging out with his friends at the beach. Groaning, Henry turned his head to look at the Bendy clock on wall closest to him. It read one in the morning.  


Shit. 

That means he had been working for six hours straight without once taking a break. Getting up to his feet, Henry made his way over to the studio’s restroom. In the restroom’s mirror, Henry could see large noticeable dark bags under his eyes along with his hair matted against his face due to sweat. Splashing cool water on his face, Henry suddenly heard approaching footsteps in the distance coming towards him. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was when he felt a firm hand rest on his shoulder.

"Good to see that you are working hard! Especially given how much you have to make up for due to your reckless past decision of quitting." 

Biting his lip, Henry tried to refrain from saying anything that would get him in trouble. Like it or not, he really needed this job. Sighing, Henry stood up straight when turning to face Joey. He tried his best to keep his face and voice even and without any traceable emotion as possible when he responded. 

"Well, I wouldn’t want to fail the company. After all, I have it to owe for me having a job and a paycheck.” The grin Joey gave him next sent chills down his spine. It was bad enough already that his boss was blocking his only escape route by standing a few feet away in front of the door. 

“You have ME to thank for those things Henry. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, shall we?” Henry forced a smile on his face while trying not to curse the very man he used to call friend out in front of him. 

“ …Of course.” Henry clenched his teeth as Joey’s grin only widened. “It was you who hired me back after all. What would I do without you?" 

Joey let out a laugh that pierced the air. Henry flinched at the sound; Joey’s laugh always made him nervous for whatever reason. 

"Only trying to be a good friend! That is what friend’s are for after all, right?" 

Feeling no choice but to submissively agree and nod in response, Henry wiped his face with a paper towel then brushed silently passed Joey as he made his way out of the bathroom and back out to where his desk was. His prison for the next four more hours before Joey even thinks of letting him leave. 

As he left though, the animator failed to notice a set of dark eyes that followed him as he walked out of the room. Oh yes, it was only just the beginning for our poor sweet little cartoonist. Because what Joey has in mind for his old friend, Joey can’t wait to execute. 


	2. Reuniting with some old co-workers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After working long, laborious hours Henry meets up with an old co-worker and friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter two for everyone!

It was six am in the morning when Henry was finally done with completing the storyboard draft. Tonight, after he gets some much deserved rest, he will then go on to ink and complete the storyboard for the episode. Getting up to his feet, Henry tried to make his way over to the studio’s entrance without appearing to stumble around blindly like some drunk. Slipping his employee card in, Henry paused for a moment while putting on his jacket.  


Should he inform Joey that he was leaving?

Letting out a tired sigh, Henry momentarily paused for the moment while contemplating his next steps. So lost was he in his train of thought that he failed to notice a shadow from behind sneak up on him. Jumping from the shock as two hands rested on the sides on his upper arms, Henry turned to face his female co-worker Susie. Despite his exhaustion and the brief scare he received, Henry was actually pleased to see her. 

“Hey Henry! How are you doing?”

Henry swore that Susie’s smiles, unlike Joey’s, could brighten anyone’s mood; regardless of how bad a day they were having. “…Oh, other than being scared by a pretty looking gal,” Susie giggled at that compliment Henry sneaked in. “ I would say I am doing fine. Just tired from the workload as usual. Nothing new really." 

He flinched just slightly when she touched his arm. Her hand felt cool and soft to the touch. Henry swallowed as tiny beads of sweat dripped down his face. It has certainly been a while since a female touched him like that. Susie reached up and leaned forward as she put her hand to Henry’s forehead. Pulling away, Susie then let out a sigh as she pulled out a handkerchief from the purse she was carrying. 

"You really must not let Mr. Drew overwork you.” Pressing the cloth to his face, Susie began to wipe away the sweat. “Just because we maybe a little short in the animation department shouldn’t excuse Joey from taking advantage of you." 

Henry couldn’t help but smile. Of course being Susie, she was always going to express some level of concern for her friends. Unlike Joey, Henry could always count on feeling comfortable in Susie’s presence.

"Thanks Sue, but really I am fine!” Henry then did a gesture with his hands towards his body. “After all, I am still in one piece, am I not?”

Before Susie could respond, they heard a loud noise of disapproval from behind them. Joey, in all his glory, stood behind them with a scowl plastered on his face. With his arms folded and shoulders straightened, Joey looked square at Susie in the eye. 

“Mrs. Campbell. What is the meaning of this?”

When failing to receive an answer, Joey continued. “Why are you still here when your shift was over two hours ago?"

Susie bit her lip as she seemed to think of what to say next. Clutching her purse closer to her side, Susie tried her hardest not to shake under the glare of her boss. ”…I was just practicing for rehearsal tomorrow! Then, just when I was about ready to leave I noticed Henry and thought I might say hi. Since he has been back I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to him.“

Whether or not Joey seemed convinced Henry didn’t know. Eventually though, Joey’s hardened gaze softened as he looked at Henry for a brief moment. In that fleeting second, Henry could’ve sworn he saw his boss smile at him, but that thought soon went away as Joey returned his gaze back to Susie and nodded in her direction. 

” Very well Mrs.Campbell. That will be all for now. Please leave and go home and rest for this afternoon. You surely have a lot of work to do for that rehearsal.“ 

Turning to face Henry, Joey continued. ” As for you Henry, please meet me in my office for a minute. We have some important things to go over.“

Susie, who stood by defenseless and quiet, like a deer in head lights, glanced over to Henry with a look of concern. Joey, being the ever impatient being that he is, snapped at Susie to leave or that he would her thrown out. Sparing Henry one last glance before she left, Susie gathered her stuff and made her way out the nearest exit. Henry, still shaking slightly from Joey’s harsh sudden attitude towards Susie, took a few steps back as Joey faced him. 

"Come along now! We still have much to discuss. Next week, there will be some new changes in your schedule." The smile on Joey’s face left a cold shiver tingling down his spine. For some reason, Joey’s sudden hungry gaze made him feel uncomfortable.  


”…New schedule changes? Like what?“ A chuckle erupted from Joey. When the other man made an attempt to step forward, Henry stepped back. 

"That will have to wait for when we are in the privacy of my office, now won’t it?" 

Taking a bold step forward, Joey extended his hand out towards Henry, who felt akin to a prey trapped by a lion in it’s den. Nodding his head, Henry reluctantly took hold of his boss’s hand and allowed the other to guide him towards his office. He only hoped he will survive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there is chapter two. I should have chapter three up and posted some time this week in the future!


	3. Unexpected assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey apparently has a unexpected assignment for Henry. What could it be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I promised, here is chapter three! As stated before, comments and criticism are welcome, as long as things are kept civil.

Inside of Joey’s office, Henry did his best not to squirm in his seat. The last time he had been in his friend’s office had been only a few weeks ago, when he had come begging for his job back. Sitting across from him at his desk while sipping coffee from his mug, Joey said nothing for the next few minutes. He even made no attempt to make basic eye contact with Henry either. That, and combined with the minutes of unnerving silence that ticked by, Henry could feel trickles of sweat bead down his face as a swell of anxiety began to come over him.  


Finally looking up to face Henry, Joey smiled. “Sorry about the moment of silence, Henry. I was just gathering my thoughts together of what I needed to say so that we didn’t have to waste time trying to get straight to the point. You know how I like my time well spent without any dawdling around!”

Henry found this to be rather odd. Never, and he means never was there a case since Henry first met and knew Joey where Joey thought about what he wanted to say before he said it. Out of the two, Joey always was the first to speak his mind since they were kids.  


“As you know, I said earlier that next week you would be having some extra additional duties alongside your usual ones, right? Well let’s just say that it won’t be much different from your typical work.” Henry wasn’t sure whether he felt relieved by this or not. It was always hard to guess what Joey would say or do next, to the point that its scared Henry, actually.  


“So, what do you want me to do anyway, exactly?”  


Sliding over an envelop Henry’s way, Joey’s fingers briefly brushed against his, causing Henry to shiver slightly. Joey’s hand was cold to the touch, making Henry wonder why that was given that hand was just holding a hot mug of coffee not too long ago.  


“What’s in here?” Joey chuckled in response.  


“Just everything you will need for your next assignment for the next few weeks. In this envelop contains the pictures of all your co-workers and of the studio itself. What I need you to do first for the next few weeks is to create detailed reference pictures for all of them. From there, well…” Joey reached over his desk to grab hold of Henry’s hand in his. Henry could swear that he could feel Joey’s thumb running across his. “…we will see. Start off this assignment and get it finished within the next few weeks and then we will talk about your next one.”  


Before Henry could open his mouth to speak, Joey intervened. “I know you probably have lots of questions right now, one of them likely on why I am even having you do this assignment anyway, right? But!” Henry suddenly felt the grip on his hand tighten. Joey’s eyes seemed to harden in that moment.

“…I wouldn’t be trying to get too comfortable with trying to ask so many questions right now. Especially considering the position you’re in right now at this point.” Henry could see Joey’s lips form a smirk. This along with the subtle threat Joey laced within his words erased any thoughts of his about further attempting to pursue the question.

“Good! Now that we settled everything, I will send you on your way so that you can get started right away!” Jumping up to his feet, Joey had released his hold on Henry’s hand. While it felt strange to admit it, Henry could tell that his hand was already missing the sensation of another’s touch. Taking a hold of the envelop Joey had given him, Henry got to his feet and followed his boss outside the office and into the hallway.

Before he could continue and head back to his work bench, Henry felt a hand firmly grab his shoulder from behind him. Turning back to face where Joey was, Henry could see Joey giving him a rare look of concern on his features.   


“But…before you go back to work, you should head home and get some rest first, okay Hen?” It was also rare to hear Joey using the childhood nickname the other used to refer to him as, once upon a time. After a momentary pause caused by shock, Henry smiled at Joey. Although it was rare to see this side of Joey again after so long of it being absent, it was still nice to have reminders that it existed in some form.

Henry nodded before making his way towards the exit of the studio’s entrance. Outside, the sun was already rising in the morning sky, creating a light that made Henry’s eyes strain. Making his way over to where his car was parked, Henry paused for a moment to look back in the studio’s direction one last time. In the morning light, the studio appeared smaller and darker than it typically did anytime else.

For once since he returned, the presence of the studio made him smile a little. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joey seems to still have feelings for his old friend, doesn't he?

**Author's Note:**

> Here is chapter one. I would love to hear feedback since this is my first fic on this site. Chapter two will be up soon!


End file.
